Hi VA,
The Western, New Age view of karma and reincarnation is a tit-for-tat justice to learn lessons to ‘evolve.’
Karma is a term that continues to surface around reincarnation and implies in new age circles, “what you sow so shall you reap.” But the original definition simply means cause and effect, cause and consequences. Healing from past trauma and unresolved issues is one of the main reasons for doing past life work. To me, this is where karma and healing intersect and why understanding reincarnation is important.
“The Tibetan Buddhists agree that the more aware and conscious a soul is, the better its choices will be for the coming life. They say a spiritually evolved soul can direct its incarnation and choose the place and family of its birth. Otherwise, they say, Karma will dictate the choice, and the soul will be drawn, as a magnet, into whatever womb resonates with all its past experiences.” – Carol Bowman
Here's a small excerpt from my book -
Brian Weiss, in his book Through Time and into Healing (#113), suggests that ‘karma,’ when applied to abuse, is not necessarily a punishment from the past. I believe he is right. Consciousness is a form of energy, a vibration. This energy includes a wide range of human thoughts, feelings and emotions; hate, fear, guilt, and shame, as well as love, joy, compassion and empathy. Why do souls come into a life of abuse repeatedly, over and over; lifetime after lifetime? Why are so many children faced with horrific amounts of abuse and/or neglect? I have a hard time with the guiding and planning sessions so many authors write about. They might be true for the more enlightened soul, but it seems to me, that the masses are not so enlightened. There seems to be something missing. For centuries we have been left without direction on HOW TO MAKE SOUL CHANGES.
In his book,
The Isaiah Effect, Gregg Braden describes thoughts, feelings and emotions as being the key to creating consciously. He suggests that by aligning your thoughts, feelings and emotions, your soul is empowered with clear intentions, clear inner vision, and purposeful, mindful life creations. He sees our thoughts as the guidance system that directs our emotions; and suggests that the feeling center is also the heart center. It is interesting to note that the heart is the center for the Buddha, as well as the seat of the soul for Ancient Egypt. The merging of thoughts and emotions through the heart center must be the key. Between thoughts and emotions, a soul can create with clear intentions, clear choices, and clear action.
Schwaller de Lubicz called these the “three intelligences” and spoke deeply about the alignment and possibilities of working with them in the 1950‘s and 60‘s. de Lubicz was French and studied things like chemistry, mathematics, and physics. But it wasn't until 1998 that his writings were translated into English. He was a fascinating man, closely associated with some of the most interesting groups and secret societies in Paris, France, around the turn of the 20th century. Both Braden and de Lubicz stress that the whole point is to be aware; your entire life concerns the condition of not only your mind, body and spirit, but also of your thoughts, feelings and emotions. It isn't a last minute evaluation, it reflects a life time. In other words, if we hold onto feelings of love, peace, joy - or that of guilt, shame or fear during our life, then according to recent theory and the ancient Egyptians, Tibetans and Indian Buddhist texts, we are sure to recreate the condition in the next life. Schwaller de Lubicz also stressed that the principal purpose behind reincarnation must be evolution and the expansion of consciousness.
IMHO - if you broaden your view beyond one religion, one train of thought and find the thread that runs through them. There lies the answer.
... "I know there is no definite answer but any help would be appreciated."
